Minor league baseball: Miracle's Jason Wheeler shuts down Clearwater

Jason Wheeler tossed eight innings of two-hit, shutout baseball to guide the Fort Myers Miracle to a 3-0 win over the Clearwater Threshers on Thursday night in Clearwater.

Wheeler (4-4) racked up a season-high seven strikeouts and issued just one walk. After Chris Swauger to reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning, the Miracle pitching staff did not allow another Threshers baserunner. Wheeler erased Swauger by inducing a 4-6-3 double play from Art Charles to end the fourth. Wheeler retired the final 13 batters faced consecutively, fanning four of the last six hitters.

Madison Boer entered the game in the ninth and kept the consecutive out streak going to 16 with a perfect inning. Boer recorded his sixth save of the season.

The Miracle broke a 0-0 tie in the fourth inning without registering a hit. With one out, Travis Harrison earned a walk from Clearwater starter Jeb Stefan. A wild pitch moved Harrison to second and ground out by Hicks pushed him to third base. Tyler Grimes then hit a hard grounder to short that was bobbled by Roman Quinn allowing Harrison to score, 1-0.

Fort Myers pushed the lead to 3-0 in the seventh. Hicks and Max Kepler each earned walks from Clearwater reliever Dan Childs. With one out, Mike Gonzales sent a missile into center field that sailed over the head of Pete Lavin. Hicks and Kepler both scored and Gonzales stood at second with a stand-up, two-run double.

The Miracle (30-22) bid for the series victory on Friday evening against the Threshers (11-41) at Bright House Field at 7 p.m.